ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani lawmaker campaigning to reduce heavy taxes on iPhones and other smart devices said on Tuesday the government has assured that a parliamentary committee will take up the issue next month and work toward a resolution.
Qasim Gilani, a National Assembly member and son of ex-premier and current Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, has been lobbying across party lines to ease what he called “unjust and unaffordable” taxes on imported smartphones.
He said that modern devices, especially high-end phones used for work and digital income, are not a luxury item but a necessity for Pakistan’s youth and information technology sector.
Gilani said he had planned to move a resolution against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's (PTA) mobile registration tax in the National Assembly but held back after the government urged him to wait for an upcoming committee meeting.
“I have postponed the resolution against unjust PTA tax, which affects millions of Pakistanis, including overseas nationals,” he told Arab News. “The government assured me the issue will be resolved through a parliamentary committee where the FBR [Federal Board of Revenue] chairman will be present.”
